Is Your Insurance Requiring a New Roof for Your Home? Here’s Why This May Happen
Homeowners insurance is intended to protect your home—and your wallet—against many common threats. Notably, this includes your roof, which is often the first line of defense against storms, hail, high winds, and more. However, we sometimes speak to confused homeowners who have just been notified by an insurance provider that they’re requiring them to get a new roof. This can happen seemingly out of the blue, or when they shop for new insurance.
At Dolan Roofing & Construction, our primary goal is to help San Antonio homeowners access the best roofing solutions and live happy, stress-free lives. Why do insurance providers sometimes mandate a new roof, and what are your options? Let’s take a look.
Your Roof May Be Too Old 
Every roof has an expected lifespan. The older your roof gets, the more difficult it is to repair successfully, the more problems it will have, and the less likely it is that repairs will be very effective.
In other words, older roofs represent a higher liability. Because of this, insurance providers are often hesitant to provide much coverage for roofs already near the end of their lifespan. The exact number can vary, but if your roof is around 15–20 years old or older, insurance may wind up requiring you to get a new roof before they’ll extend full coverage.
You May Have a Wood Shake Roof
Wood shake is a roofing material that was very popular for a period of time. As a readily available material that provided a rugged, rustic appearance, it was a very attractive option for homeowners.
However, as you may expect, wood shake roofs have also historically been more prone to fire risks. Famous wildfires in the U.S. were fueled by homes with wood shake roofs, and many states and municipalities have even banned this material from use in new roofing systems.
These days, few roofing companies will install wood shake roofs here in San Antonio—and many insurance providers are unwilling to cover them. If your home has a wood shake roof, you’ll likely need to replace it before your homeowners insurance will cover it.
You May Live in a Hail- or Storm-Prone Area
As longtime San Antonio residents know, we experience more than our fair share of severe storms. Hail season can be especially brutal, dealing severe storm damage throughout our area.
While insurance companies will typically still cover homes in hail- and storm prone areas like ours, they may require your roof to be made from an impact-resistant material, such as IR shingles, tile, or metal. If your home does not use such a material, insurance coverage may be minimal.
Financing Options Are Available
Unfortunately, an insurance company requiring you to get a new roof before receiving coverage is a major unexpected expense. Luckily, many roofing companies understand this difficulty and have ways to help homeowners afford necessary and unexpected roof replacements.
Here at Dolan Roofing, we offer financing for roof replacements that can help lessen the immediate out-of-pocket cost and help homeowners afford a new roof more easily.
Insurance Requiring a New Roof? Talk to Dolan’s Experts
As a family-owned company, Dolan Roofing is here to help! We understand that roofing work is sometimes unexpected, and our goal is to make the roofing process as stress-free as possible. If you’re faced with an unexpected roof replacement, we’ll work with you to find financing options that work for you and install your new roof in a timely manner to ensure your San Antonio family is protected for years to come.
Reach out to our team today to get started!
